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Ballet’s BeginningsBallet’s Beginnings  The word “ballet” is French with a Latin background  Origins in the Italian Renaissance courts  Provided entertainment at lavish weddings  Early ballets were participatory  “Ballet de cour” was introduced in the 16 th century.  First ballet de cour, Ballet Comique de la Reine, lasted for over five hours.

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Ballet Comique de la ReineBallet Comique de la Reine

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Louis XIVLouis XIV  King Louis XIV loved dancing – used it to glorify himself and the throne  * Late 17 th century – founded the Academie R Royale de Musique (The Paris Opera).  * First professional ballet company emerged.  (The Paris Opera Ballet)  * Dance eventually became an independent form form of art

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Women in BalletWomen in Ballet  Women were not allowed to dance until 1681  Ankle-length, formal gowns were worn while dancing  The first standard ballet shoe for women was a heel  Mid-18 th century – non-heeled shoes were first worn  Marie Camargo is credited with the innovations of: ballet slippers, the calf-length ballet skirt and ballet tights.

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En PointeEn Pointe  Marie Taglioni is rumored to be the first to dance en pointe  Pointe training should not happen until after age 11  Rigorous training is required to go en pointe  Extreme strength in the tendons is necessary  The modern pointe shoe design is often attributed to Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova

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Giselle  Heartbreaking, poetic tale of the love between a peasant girl named Giselle and Count named Albrecht  First presented at the Paris Opéra’s Salle Le Peletier in 1841  Oldest ballet in the active repertoire with a continuous performance history  Giselle is one of the most sought-after roles in ballet

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Coppélia  The fable of a boy who falls in love with a beautiful doll named Coppélia and the chaos that ensues  Premiered in 1871; full of humor and ballet mime  Represents the halfway point between the misty poetry of Giselle and the classic splendor of Swan Lake  Introduced automatons, dolls, and marionettes to ballet

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Swan LakeSwan Lake  Classic love story of a princess bewitched into swan form and a prince who attempts to break the spell  Tchaikovsky composed the piece as amusement for his niece and nephew  Performed in 1877; huge failure when previewed  Re-produced in 1895 after Tchaikovsky’s death and became a huge success.